This film portrays all that can go wrong during the Xmas season–getting stuck in the snow, long shopping lines, coping with the fights that flair up during family get-togethers, the perils of preparing holiday meals, airport layovers–as people struggle to sing along in unison the Andy Williams classic, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
The pairing of the song with the pitfalls of the holidays makes for a delightfully ironic pairing to promote the Wonderful Christmas by Orange, the place where you can get the gifts that bring a smile to your face no matter what the holidays may otherwise bring. Indeed at the film’s end we see folks unwrap their gifts with joyful results–all the trials and tribulations are forgotten thanks to the perfect presents bought at Orange.
This Orange Xmas was conceived by a creative ensemble at Publicis Conseil, Paris, and directed by Megaforce via production house Iconoclast.
Credits
Client Orange France Agency Publicis Conseil, Paris Fabrice Delacourt, executive creative director; Kevin Salembier, copywriter; Julien Boissinot, art director; Lucie Puybonnieux, Alexandre Perdereau, art directors assistants. Production Iconoclast Megaforce, directors; Arnaud Potier, DP; Nathalie Le Caer, producer; Alexia Levy, line producer; Coralie Rose, casting; Marco Puig, production designer. Postproduction Prodigious/Mathematic Franck-Herve Marc, Laura Warnault, post producers; Sophie Fourdrinoy, editing; Mathieu Caplanne, grading; Frederic Brandon, VFX supervisor/lead artist. Audio Prodigious/750MPH Boris Nicou, Joel Tessonneau, sound producers; Sam Ashwell, sound designer (750MPH); Alex Firla, sound engineer. Music “It’s The Most Beautiful Time of the Year (Andy Williams; Eddie Pola, George Wyle), Barnaby Music Corp.
At the heart of this campaign for Pay.UK Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is a playful yet relatable narrative, brought to life in the hero TV commercial, “Blind Date.” Directed by Rosie May Bird Smith of Biscuit Filmworks for agency House 337, the spot follows a woman nervously meeting her blind date, only to discover the person waiting for her is someone you definitely wouldn’t want to meet on a blind date. The voiceover reassures: ”Blind dates. They’re a bit like switching bank accounts. You don’t want any surprises. That’s why we guarantee there won’t be any when you switch with the Current Account Switch Service.”
“Everyone knows the pain of a bad date, the gut-churning realization you’ve texted your boss instead of your mate, and being stuck next to someone eating the world’s stinkiest lunch,” said Ross Newton, creative director, House 337, who added, “Life is a minefield of unwanted surprises, so coming up with the campaign idea was the easy part. The real challenge was deciding which situations to include and which to ditch. Sadly, these scenarios are all too relatable for us all, myself included.”
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